Sonnet has announced that its Echo Express III-D (desktop), Echo Express III-R (rackmount), and Echo Express SE II (desktop) Thunderbolt-to-PCIe card expansion chassis are the first devices of their kind to ship with 20Gbps Thunderbolt 2 interfaces.

These new members of Sonnet's Echo Express family of expansion products enable any Mac computer equipped with Thunderbolt 2 or Thunderbolt ports to interface with a wide variety of high-performance PCIe cards originally designed only for use in desktop computers. The Echo Express III-D, Echo Express III-R, and Echo Express SE II incorporate ultra-fast Thunderbolt 2 technology, which delivers twice the throughput of 10Gbps Thunderbolt.

Designed for users that require an optimum solution for connecting three PCIe cards to their computers, both the Echo Express III-D and Echo Express III-R provide one x16 and two x8 PCIe slots to support three full-length, full-height, single-width PCIe cards. Both chassis feature a built-in universal 300W power supply with a 75W auxiliary power connector to support PCIe cards with higher power requirements. In addition, the systems integrate two large ultra-quiet, temperature-controlled cooling fans to enable their use in noise-sensitive environments.

The Echo Express SE II was designed for users needing a simple way to connect two adapter cards to their computers, and it supports all but long Thunderbolt-compatible PCIe cards. The new chassis supports two half-length (up to 19.7cm), full-height PCIe 2.0 x8 cards and provides an additional space for a daughter card.

Price in US$

Echo Express III-D (part number ECHO-EXP3F-D)

$979

Echo Express III-R (part number ECHO-EXP3F-R)

$1,199

Echo Express III-R Mobile Rack Kit (part number ECHO-EXP3FR-MRM)

$199

Echo Express SE II (part number ECHO-EXP-SE2)

$499

Until now, the Echo Express III-D, III-R, and SE II have been equipped with 1Gbps Thunderbolt technology. Customers who purchased these Echo Express systems received an in-box coupon for a free upgrade to Thunderbolt 2. They will be able to claim their Thunderbolt 2 upgrade from 3 Feb to 31 Mar.